Method and device for local application and removal of active substances against solid tumors

Abstract

Described are a method and a device for the application and the removal of locally applied active substances against solid tumors, which device consists of a catheter (1) to be positioned distally to the tumor for the collection of blood coming from the tumor, a pump (2) and a catheter (3) connected thereto and returning the blood into the body. The device is characterized in that between the two catheters (1, 3) there is present at least one container (4) capable of allowing blood to pass therethrough and containing immobilized substances having high affinity against the applied active substance.

We claim: 
     
       1. A method for the treatment of solid tumors, wherein a therapeutically effective amount of active substances against the solid tumors are locally injected, characterized in that (a) the active substance is infused into an afferent blood vessel of a tumor-containing organ, (b) a second active substance, which is capable to inactivate the effect of the first active substance, is infused distally to the tumor-containing organ, and (c) both active substances are filtered out of the patient's blood, wherein the blood is withdrawn distally to the tumor, pumped through a container containing substances, which are capable to bind the active substances, and returning the blood into the patient's body. 
     
     
       2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the second active substance inactivates the effect of the first active substance by direct interaction caused by chemical reaction of the first and the second active substance. 
     
     
       3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that the chemical reaction is a covalent or an ionic interaction. 
     
     
       4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the second active substance inactivates the effect of the first active substance by direct non-covalent interaction of the first and the second applied active substance based on antigen-antibody interaction. 
     
     
       5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second active substance is an antagonist of the first active substance, which blocks the receptors of the first active substance and inactivates the effect of the first active substance. 
     
     
       6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second active substance reacts with receptors on the first active substance to cause a physiological response contrary to the physiological response caused by the first active substance, which inactivates the effects of the first active substance. 
     
     
       7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the active substance belongs to the group comprising the Biological Response Modifiers (BRM's). 
     
     
       8. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the active substance is injected in a vessel afferent to the tumor. 
     
     
       9. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the blood is withdrawn through a catheter distally to the tumor, is pumped through a container containing carrier-bound substances having high affinity against the active substance and then is returned into the body. 
     
     
       10. The method according to claim 9, characterized in that distally to the opening of the catheter (1) for collecting blood there is present at least one elastic cuff (6a) for shutting-off the blood vessel. 
     
     
       11. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that lymphokines are employed as active substances for sensitizing the tumor tissue. 
     
     
       12. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that there are employed in combination chemotherapeutics with Biological Response Modifiers (BRM's), two different BRM's, monoclonal antibodies with BRM's and BRM's with cytotoxic compounds bound to monoclonal antibodies.